The Business of Beauty: Trends emphasize wholistic approaches to self-care By Kasey Husk
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or Catlin Krodel, lead cosmetologist at Spaah, taking the time to do her makeup each morning isn’t just about wanting to change her appearance. It’s all about attitude. “Finding something that makes you feel confident about yourself is really important,� Krodel said. For some people, that is clothes or nail art or hair styles. For her, it is makeup because “It is a fun way to express myself.� For most of human history, people have looked for different ways to look and feel their best, whether through cosmetics, clothes or — in the modern era — surgical procedures. But local experts say today customers in Monroe County are looking beyond mere aesthetics to take a more holistic and conscientious approach to their health and beauty regimes. Rather than focusing on outward appearance, these days the focus is more about the overall importance of “self-care,� locals said. In short, it’s not necessarily about improving appearance, it’s about improving how you feel. “I think people are discovering self-care, they are figuring out they need to take care of themselves,� said Laura Chaiken, owner of the Bloomington Salt Cave. “If you are on an airplane and the oxygen mask comes down, you need to breath some oxygen yourself before you can help anyone else.�
“Finding something that makes you feel confident about yourself is really important.� — Catlin Krodel, lead cosmetologist at Spaah Catlin Krodel. Photos by Chris Howell.
Feel good, look good In today’s often-chaotic, fast-paced life, many individuals aren’t getting the chance for the kind of “me time� that is so vital to overall wellness, said Joseph Gerbofsky, owner of Serenus Float & Wellness. This very problem was the inspiration for the former mental health therapist to launch his own business, one where people like his clients have the chance to isolate themselves from the cares of the day and focus exclusively on introspection and relaxation. At Serenus Float & Wellness, clients can immerse themselves in either an open pool or “float pods� filled with 160 gallons of 93.5-degree water and about 100 pounds of medical-grade Epsom salts. Because the salt makes the body buoyant and the water is nearly body temperature, “you feel like you a floating on air,� Gerbofsky said. One hour of floating has tremendous physical and mental health benefits, Gerbofsky said. It can help with muscle recovery for athletes, improve memory and help those with anxiety or coping with trauma process their thoughts. It even gives the body a magnesium supplement, which most people are deficient in, Gerbofsky said. “When I come out I feel very refreshed, a deeper sense of focus and more clarity,� he said. “It helps trigger a whole reboot for the mind.� Serenus also offers infrared saunas at its facility, where clients can experience the benefits of sauna — detoxifying the body, for one, and weight loss for another — without the high-humidity heat of a traditional sauna, he said. BUSINESS OF BEAUTY continued on page 8
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JANUARY 2019 | BIZNET • F7
